After Israel Adesanya's spectacular knockout win over Alex Pereira, assumptions have quickly turned to what seems the obvious next step for both fighters - a decisive trilogy bout.
In the context of combat sports narratives, you'd be hard pressed to pen a more fitting set-up.
Pereira's arrival in the UFC - following in the footsteps of his fellow kickboxing convert - couldn't have been better timed for Adesanya.
'The Last Stylebender' had rapidly run out of bona fide middleweight contenders, so who better to inject some life into a stale division than not only the only fighter to have ever knocked him out, but an opponent he'd twice come up short against.
Obviously, the UFC knew exactly what it was doing by recruiting 'Poatan' and his readymade narrative with Adesanya, fast-tracking him to a title shot after just three wins.
His comeback victory in their first meeting in an Octagon set the scene for the continuation of their rivalry and Adesanya wrote another storybook chapter with his jaw-dropping second-round KO in the UFC 287 rematch, with a performance that underlined his standing as one of the greatest to ever enter the eight-sided circle.
The natural conclusion would be a decisive third bout between the two. Right?
Adesanya is adamant his performance in Miami was the final chapter in their longstanding rivalry.
"I don't keep score, I settle them and now it's settled,” Adesanya said. "I gave him a fast-track to the belt, you know?
"I could've said, 'no, who has he fought? He only fought one top-five', but no. He did well, he fought some alright guys.
"He beat Strickland and I was like, 'Fine, there's no-one else', plus I was looking for that challenge.
"He's the guy that beat me in kickboxing… that's why I took that fight. The rematch, I got the immediate rematch, because of what I've done in the game.
"I won the belt against Kelvin [Gastelum]. I defended against Rob [Whittaker], [Yoel] Romero, [Paulo] Costa, [Marvin] Vettori, Rob again, [Jared] Cannonier. Seven.
"My other belt would have seven f***ing gems on it."
Adesanya holds firm, when pressed on the possibility of a third fight, encouraging Pereira to take the route his enormous frame always seemed destined for, by moving up to light-heavyweight, where he'd instantly emerge as a contender for the title in a paper-thin division.
"I did the hard yards and I earned my rematch... now he has to do the hard yards, if he wants to do it, but I don't think he's going to," he said. "Go cause problems at 205[lbs] and good luck to everyone else, because he's a motherf***er to deal with, I'll tell you that."
Surprisingly, UFC boss Dana White echoes those sentiments.
A trilogy bout with Pereira would be a marketing dream for the promotion, with the kind of marquee appeal ideally suited to one of its showcase annual events, like New Year's Eve or during fight week at Las Vegas.
White almost insists Pereira would move instantly up a class and ease the burden of a brutal weight cut down to 185lb (83.9kg).
"He's a monster," said White. "I know that he still had two pounds to cut leading up to when there was like an hour left in weigh-ins.
"I would bet anything he moves to 205 after this fight."
Pereira's post-fight statement also implies as much, tweeting that he intends to "continue with the plans that are already in motion".
The issue then becomes - who is the next genuine contender at middleweight? Adesanya has almost completely wiped out the rest of the field.
Robert Whittaker is the No.1 contender, but does the world really need a third bout against 'The Reaper'? The Kiwi-born Aussie will always have enough class to pose a legitimate threat to Adesanya, but it's unlikely he'll be able to solve that puzzle and it would be a tough sell for the fans.
When asked to point a finger at who could be next, Adesanya calls out the only fighter on the cusp of the top five who he has yet to beat - South African Dricus DuPlessis.
Sixth-ranked DuPlessis is on a five-fight win streak, with Darren Till and Derek Brunson his most recent conquests, but his recent accusations that Adesanya, fellow Nigerian and former welterweight champion Kamaru Usman, and ex-heavyweight champion and Cameroonian Francis Ngannou were 'fake Africans' have drawn the ire of the City Kickboxing product.
"Did those belts ever go to Africa?" DuPlessis said. "As far as I know, they came to America and New Zealand.
"I'm going to take a belt to Africa."
Those comments have clearly struck a nerve with Adesanya.
"I want to whoop his ass so bad," he said. "I'll remind you, because you got to choose your words wisely, when you speak on people that have come before you, people that paved the way for you.
"I pray to God he keeps winning. I will gladly drag his carcass across South Africa."
The storyline may be there, but DuPlessis is probably at least a win or two away from proving he deserves a title shot.
Which all brings us back to why the world needs a decisive third bout against Pereira.
The Brazilian has been the perfect foil for Adesanya - a gargantuan middleweight with a terrifying mystique, who has brought out his very best by allowing him to showcase his exceptional mental tenacity and otherworldly skillset.
Adesanya's star has never shone brighter. Great fighters need great rivalries to cement their legacies.
After exorcising his demons against his longtime adversary to become middleweight's first two-time champion, his legacy is already set in stone, but a consecutive win over his nemesis would mean mixed martial arts immortality.
Frankly, settling for anything less than a chance to do precisely that would be a huge anti-climax.
